Testing Vredestein’s New Pinza HT And Ultrac Vorti Tyres In An Off-road Trail And Race Track!

Vredestein Tyres, the premium division from Apollo Tyres India, has introduced two new locally manufactured tyres (with various size options) in the market, with prices starting from Rs 11,700.

First, we have the Pinza HT, a highway-terrain tyre that’s claimed to do adequate rough terrain and off-roading. These tyres are mainly for midsize and full-size SUV segments, catering to models such as the Tata Safari, Mahindra Scorpio N, and Toyota Fortuner. The second one is the premium range Ultrac Vorti tyres for luxury and performance SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz GLS and Lamborghini Urus. 

We put these new tyres for a brief test, bolting the Pinza HT onto different vehicles and taking it for an adventure in Ooty. And the next day, we sampled the Ultrac Vorti at the CoASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore, one of India’s newest race tracks. 

Yes, we’ll get to all of that in a bit, but before that, here’s a look at the price range of the newly launched Vredestein tyres:

*Prices yet to be determined by manufacturer

Day 1: Off-road Session In Ooty

Day 1 saw us head through the twists and turns to the beautiful hill station, Ooty. The agenda of the day was to check out how the Pinza HT tyre performs on an off-road track. These are primarily highway terrain (read: road-biased) tyres, but Vredestein claims they can deal with the occasional off-road stint.

These tyres were bolted on to three different vehicles: the Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Hilux, and Isuzu V-Cross (which we were assigned). The trail is a mid-level course (not too basic nor too advanced) with plenty of steep sections, rocky bits, and tight hairpin bends. Tyre pressures were deflated to about 20 PSI for better traction and we were advised to use 4-low and first gear. An instructor was present in every vehicle to help us where things got a bit difficult.

We were given two runs: uphill and downhill. And despite being highway-terrain tyres, it impressed us with how it handled the rocky terrain. It provided impressive grip while driving both uphill and downhill with zero wheelspin over the rocks and boulders. In fact, there were certain sections in the trail where we thought the off-roader might not make it while climbing the steep uphill rocky sections. But the instructor just asked this author to focus on the line, give adequate momentum and voila, the V-Cross made it with absolutely no wheel spin. And what was quite impressive is the team saying there were no punctures despite the tyres clambering over rough terrain.

That said, the weather was dry and all-terrain tyres would still be the preferred choice, especially during rains for off roading. The Pinza HTs are perfect for the occasional farmhouse without you needing to worry about getting stuck, until and unless there is a frequently used path.

We also tested the Pinza HT on the road for a short distance in the Toyota Fortuner. And while claims were made regarding low tyre noise, we did not feel a big difference. That said, stability on a straight line and during lane changes is good. 

Day 2: Putting The Pace On At CoASTT

After soaking in Ooty’s beautiful weather, we left for Coimbatore to CoASTT High Performance Centre, one of India’s newest race tracks, to test the brand’s Ultrac Vorti premium set of tyres. These tyres were on the Mercedes-AMG G63 and BMW X5 and we were assigned the former. 

Two laps around CoASTT, that too behind a support car controlling our pace, isn’t enough to give you a detailed review. But based on our brief experience, these high-performance tyres managed to hold the line well, despite driving a mammoth weighing well over two tonnes. 

Straight-line stability was impressive and reassuring, and even during hard braking on the straight for the corner entry, they behaved as expected with no signs of losing control. 

After Sales And Warranty Claims 

As standard, these tyres come with a five-year manufacturing defect warranty. But the icing on the cake is accidental damage coverage, where Vredestein will replace the tyre on a pro rata basis for up to two years (a minor cost will be deducted based on the damage and tyre life). 

Our Verdict 

Based on our limited experience and time spent with both the tyres, we would recommend them for those intending to get a new set of boots for their vehicles. The Pinza HT, despite being a tyre primarily designed for the road, impressed us in the off-road section with its capabilities during dry weather.

On the other hand, there is the Ultrac Vorti performance tyre, which performed as per expectations, with good straight-line stability and vehicle control. And the cherry on the cake is the impressive warranty and price points they come at, making it a good recommendation for buyers.